Manufacture of lady{40 s panty hose

ABSTRACT

The panty hose comprises two similar knit blanks secured together to form a tubular body encircling portion and two tubular limb encircling portions depending therefrom. The body encircling portions of the blanks are composed of courses made with at least two stretch yarns, each of such courses being composed of conventional knit stitches and a selected number of run-guard stitches that form in the inner side of the blank a vertical panel. The two panels are medially slit downwardly to a point short of the lower ends thereof. The slit edges formed from each panel are connected either to one side of a crotch or panel portion or to the slit edges of the other panel, and in such manner that the unslit bottom portions of such panels are intermediate the ends of the crotch or panel portion, or the seam connecting such slit edges together. The vertical panel in each blank is at its top integral with a transverse band made of runguard stitches and encircling the upper edge of the blank.

United States Patent Fisher et al.

[ MANUFACTURE OF LADYS PANTY HOSE [75] Inventors: Max Fisher, Pennside; Paul S. Gardner, Temple, both of Pa.

[73] Assignee: Old Colony Hosiery Mills, Inc.,

Reading, Pa- 22 Filed: Mar. 15, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 234,724

[52] US. Cl. 66/177, 2/224 R 51] Int. Cl A4lb 9/02, A41b 9/04, A4lb 9/10 [58] Field of Search 66/177, 172, 175, 173, 66/176, 169, 185-187; 2/224 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,449,932 6/1969 Fillmore et al. 66/177 3,670,529 6/1972 Fregeolle 66/177 3,362,029 1/1968 Comerma 66/177 3,106,830 10/1963 Zalenski 66/l69;169 A 3,157,037 11/1964 Nebel et al. 66/l69;l69 A 3,131,556 5/1964 Nebel 66/189 A UX 3,197,978 8/1965 Sheeler.... 66/169 A 2,826,760 3/1958 Rice 66/177 UX R25,360 3/1963 Rice 2/224 2,697,925 12/1954 Goodman 66/177 2,790,315 4/1957 lsenhour 66/177 2,887,860 5/1959 Bellman 66/172 3,052,110 9/1962 Heggie 66/172 3,338,071 8/1967 Pon et al 66/182 3,334,621 10/1967 Gilchrist 126/299 [451 May 7, 1974 3,477,256 11/1969 Fillmore et a1. 66/172 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,214,549 12/1970 Great Britain 2/224 874,134 8/1961 Great Britain 2/1970 Germany 66/177 Primary Examiner-Ronald Feldbaum Attorney, Agent, or Firm-John J. Hart [5 7] ABSTRACT The panty hose comprises two similar knit blanks secured together to form a tubular body encircling portion and two tubular limb encircling portions depending therefrom. The body encircling portions of the blanks are composed of courses made with at least two stretch yarns, each of such courses being composed of conventional'knit stitches and a selected number of run-guard stitches that form in the inner side of the blank a vertical panel. The two panels are medially slit downwardly to a point-short of the lower ends thereof. The slit edges formed from each panel are connected either to one side of a crotch or panel portion or to the slit edges of the other panel, and in such manner that the unslit bottom portions of such panels are intermediate the ends of the crotch or panel portion, or the seam connecting such slit edges together. The vertical panel in each blank is at its top integral with a transverse band made of run-guard stitches and encircling the upper edge of the blank.

9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures MANUFACTURE OF LADY'S PANTY HOSE THE INVENTION This invention relates to ladies Seamless sheer and heavy stockings of the type known as panty hose and which cover the legs and the lower trunk portion of the body of the wearer.

The present day panty hose type garment is usually formed by initially knitting on a seamless knitting machine a pair of separate stockings havingat their upper ends a circular extension which is used to make the hip covering portion or panty of the complete garment. In forming-the garment, the upper panty portions of the two stockings are slit longitudinally along their inner sides and the slit edges of the two stockings are connected together in part by' a crotch piece which may extend from the top rear edge of the garment and around the crotch to a point slightly above the latter at the front of the garment. At the front of the garment, the slit edges of the two stocking above such point are sewn together directly by a line of stitches which extends from such point to the top front edge of the garment.

The customary panty hose garment is usually made with a conventional stitch which is known to have a tendency to run. Further, the panty portion of the garment fits the lower trunk portion of the wearer very the garment runs which originate from the seam connecting the crotch piece to the conventional knit leg and body portions and especially which originate at the bottom of the crotch. In an effort to protect the panty hose from this tendency to run, it has become customary in the art to knit a circular row, usually about 1 inch wide, completely around each leg portion, using a runguard stitch, such as the known micro or Kant-run stitches. While these run. guards are effective to prevent runs in the legs of the panty hose, they have the disadvantage that they are clearly noticeable when the panty hose is worn, and are unsightly.

It is the primary purpose of the instant invention to provide a'panty hose construction which will prevent the formation of runs at the crotch piece.

A further object of the invention is to provide a panty hose construction which will protect the crotch area from running and which is not noticeable, or detractive of theappearance of the garment when the garment is worn.

Other objects of the invention as well as the advantages thereof will appear from the following description which should be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a panty hose provided with no run sections in accordance with the invention;

, FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the' garment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an inner side elevational view of a knitted stocking as it is produced by the knitting machine;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing such stocking after it had been slit vertically in the upper end portion thereof; and I FIG. 5 is an elevation showing in enlarged detail the manner in which the split no-run sections are secured to the crotch section of the garment.

The garment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is composed of two stockings 10 and 11 each of which includesa leg portion 12 and an upper hip engaging portion 13. The hip engaging portions 13 of the two stockings are connected by a crotch piece 14 which is formed in the manner of a panel to provide added width to the hip portion 13 and which at the rear of the garment may, as shown, extend up to an elastic waist band member 15. At the front of the garment the panel portion 14 terminates at a point 16 located slightly above the crotch of the wearer. The two sides of the crotch piece or panel portion 14 are connected to the two opposed side edge portions of the stockings by two lines of stitches 17 and 18 which join at the point 16. From the point 16, the hip engaging portions 13 are connected at the front of the garment by a line of stitches 19 which extends up to the band member 15. In accordance with the invention, the connected side edge portions 20 and 21 of the hip engaging portions 13 are made with a run resistant stitch.

The two stockings 10 and 11 are circular knit stockings made separately on a conventional seamless knitting machine. The stockings are characterized by the fact that they are each completely knitted with a single yarn in forming the leg portions, hip engaging portions and the run-resistant portions thereof. As is customary in circularly knitting operations the stockings are made using two or a multiple of two cones provided with left and riht twisted stretch yarns which are alternately thrown to form the resulting product which is tubular in form as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings. The tubular product may be constructed to provide a foot part, as shown, or may be terminated in an ankle portion. Each tubular product, however, has a part 25 for the calf and thigh of the wearer, and a part 26 which is of such dimensions that when the two stockings are joined as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 they may encircle the hips of the wearer. Each tubular product also has a run resistant section 27 extending longitudinally downwardly on the inner side thereof from a run resistant section 28 encircling the upper edge of the product. The section 27 extends down into the upper portion of the part 25, the upper extremity of such part 25 being indicated by the dotted line 29-29.

In knitting the tubular product, it is knitted as is customary from the top downwards to the desired end of such product which may be to provide a foot portion, as shown, in the usual manner. In the carrying out of such knitting operation one right and left twisted stretch yarn is used to construct the entire product, as has been previously indicated. The product is made using a conventional knitstitch except in the run resistant sections 27 and 28 which may be from k inch to 1 inch wide. Section 27 may be from 8 inches to 18 inches-long depending on the size of the garment. Initially, a number of courses of a known run-guard stitch is knitted to form the run resistant section 28 at the top of the garment. Then throughout the length of the run resistant section 27, the courses are knit in the following manner.

As previously stated, there is used in making the tubular product a standard type of seamless knitting machine provided with the usual pattern mechanism to knit a conventional mesh garment. In order to make the run resistant section, the machine is modified to substitute a group, say about 36, special needles in the'needle cylinder for a number of the needles which would ordinarily be employed to produce a conventional conventional knit stitch throughout the lengths of the courses. These special needles are constructed to knit a runguard stitch such as a'micro, or Kant-run stitch. During the knitting of each course, the thread is cleared of all needles except the special needles by means of a special cam arrangement which is associated with the main cam drum usually provided in such knitting machines and which is operable to activate one set of needles and to take the other set of needles out of operation. Thus, as the knitting machine normally operates in producing successive courses, the cams will activate those needles which produce the flat knit until the course reaches the no-run area 27, when the cams will operate to take such needles out of operation and activate the special needles for producing a run-guard stitch across the no-run area 27. When the special needles have knitted the no-run portion of the course, the cams again operate to place the conventional knit needles in operation and the special needles are deactivated. This is continued in the formation of each course until the desired length of no-run panel 27 is knitted,

when the drun and its associated cam arrangement will operate to terminate the construction of the panel 27 by the special needles and to enable the garment to be completed in regular fashion with each course being completely produced in conventional knit.

It will be observed that in construction the garment in the manner aforesaid, each course knitted throughout the length of the panel 27 will be composed of a length'of conventional knit and a length of run resist knit, and such two knits will be produced by the same single thread. Thus, in the two areas of conventional knit and run resist knit, the same thread will appear, thereby minimizing the differences in appearance between the two areas. It will also be understood that the width of the no-run panel 27 is regulated by the number of special needles which are used in making the same. Preferably, it is advisable to have the panel as narrow as possible without sacrifice of the reinforcement it affords. Thus, if the panel is narrow, it practically becomes invisible after'the crotch piece is sewed in place. Since this area of the garment is mainly between the legs of a wearer, it cannot be seen when in use.

When the tubular product is removed from theknitting machine it will be in the form shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings. Two tubular products such as shown in FIG. 3 are then slit vertically medially of the no-run panel 27 to a point short of its bottom end, i.e., approximately to'the line 29-29. Thus, if the product shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is to be fashioned into the stocking shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, such slit will produce the two edge portions'20, 20 in FIGS. 1 and 2 and an unsevered bottom portion 30. In a similar manner, the slit in the other tubular product for making the stocking 11 will' when accomplished in accordance with this invention.

As the run-guard is in the nature of a vertical band, it tends to function as a guide for the operator performing the slitting operation. Because of this it becomes relatively easy for an operator to make a straight medial slit that will provide two separated edge portions 20, 20 of substantially equal width. This will in turn make it possible to produce straight seams l7, l8 and 19 when the parts of the garment are assembled.

In the assembly of the two tubular products which are finished in the customary fashion to provide the stockings 10 and 11, with the panel portion 14, the side edges of the latter are secured by the stitches of the seams 17 and 18 to the slit no-run edge portions 20, 21 so that the latters unsevered associated bottom portions 30, 31, respectively, are located intermediate the ends of the panel portion as shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings. Since, the length of the part of the no-run panel 27 that is slit is equal to the height of the hip portions 26, such bottom portions 30, 31 will be located at the bottom of the crotch in the assembled condition of the garment. In the construction illustrated the seams l7 and 18 will extend to and include one of the slit end portions of the no-run sections 28in the two stockings which will also thereby be connected to the side edges of the panel portion or piece 14. As previously explained, the two seams 17 and 18 join the seam 19 at the pointed end of the panel piece which is indicated by the point .16. Seam 19 extends up the front of the garment joining one slit side of the no-run edge portions 20, 21 and at the top of the garment theopposed other slit ends'of the no-run sections 28 in the two stockings. While in the embodiment illustrated, the rear portion of thepiece 14 extends up to the no-run section 28, it will be understood that in the use of other customary forms of crotch pieces the rear. portions thereof may terminate ina pointed end short of the no-' run section 28 in the manner of the front portion thereof. In such construction, the rear ends of the two seams 17 and 18 will merge into a single seam that extends from the rear termination of the crotch-piece to the no-run section 28 in the manner in which the front of the garment is assembled. It is also within the contemplation of the invention not to include a crotch or panel piece as is done in many present day panty hose constructions, and connect the slit edges of the no-run panel 27 directly together. It will be further understood that whichever construction is employed the micro or non-run knit in such connected slit edges of the panel 27 will prevent the creation of any runs from the seamed connections into the flat knit forming the panty portion and legs of the gannent. After the stockings and crotch piece are assembled a suitable stretchable waistband 1,5 is secured to the garment to finis the same.

What is claimed is:

l. A panty hose comprising a pair of similar knit blanks secured together to form a tubular body encircling portion and two tubular limb encircling portions depending therefrom, and a crotch portion formed at the bottom of said body encircling portion and extending laterally between the limb encircling portions, said crotch portion being constituted of two opposed narrow edge portions of said knit blanks formed with a run-guard stitch, the edge portions of each knit blank being a knit layer integral therewith and the run-guard stitches in said edge portions forming parts of knit courses in such knit blank containing conventional knit stitches, and the conventional knit and run-guard stitches in each such course being made with the same yarn, and means attached to the run-guard stitches of said opposed narrow edge portions and connecting them together.

2. A panty hose as defined in claim 1, in which said edge portions of each knit blank constitute the two longitudinal parts of a medially slit single panel formed by the run-guard stitches in said courses.

3; A panty hose as defined in claim 1, in which said edge portions extend substantially from the upper edge of the front side of the pnaty hose, around the crotch, and substantially to the upper edge of the back side of the panty hose, and including a piece of material located between said edge portions at least in the crotch portion of such panty hose and terminating on one side of said panty hose short of the upper edge of such one side, the opposing parts of said edge portions in the region of said piece of material being seamed to the side edges of the latter, and those opposing parts of said edge portions on said one side being seamed together from the termination of said piece of material thereat to such upper edge thereof.

4. A panty hose as defined in claim 2, in which said panels of said pair of knit blanks are slit from the upper ends thereof downwardly to a point short of the lower ends thereof, the unsevered bottom end portions of said panels being located on opposite sides of said crotch portion intermediate the ends of the latter.

5. A panty hose comprising a pair of similar knit blanks secured together to form a tubular body encircling portion and two tubular limb encircling portions depending therefrom, said blanks being composed of a multiplicity of circular courses each made with single yarn, and a plurality of successive of such courses in each knit blank above the juncture of said body and limb encircling portions being composedof conventional knit stitches and a selected number of run-guard stitches that form in such blank a vertical panel of given width extending vertically downwardly from a point short of the upper edge of such blank, said panel in each knit blank being medially slit by a slit starting at such upper edge to form two slit edge portions, said slit edge portions of said blanks extending in opposed relation downwardly from the upper front edge of the hose, laterally in the crotch portion of the hose and upwardly to the upper rear edge of the hose, and means connecting the two slit edge portions of one panel to to the two slit edge portions of the other panel throughout the lengths thereof.

6. A panty hose as defined in claim 5, in which said panels are slit downwardly to a point short of the lower ends thereof and the unsevered bottom portions of said panels are located in opposed relation in the region of said crotch portion and intermediate the ends of said slit edge portions thereof.

7. A panty hose as defined in claim 5, in which each knit blank is formed to provide a run-resist band at the upper end thereof, said run-resist band comprising a plurality of courses of run-guard stitches forming a circular band of given width above said panel composed of courses of conventional knit and run-guard stitches, said-circular band in each knit blank being slit by said medial slit and the two end portions of each band formed by the slit being connected to the two slit end portions of the other band by said connecting means.

8. A method of making a panty hose comprising the steps of knitting each of a pair of separate tubular parts on a circular knitting machine, each of said two separate tubular parts having integral tubular body encircling and limb encircling portions, knitting a multiplicity of successive circular courses in forming the body encircling portion of each tubular part using a single yarn and forming each such course with such single yarn to form a series of conventional knit stitches and a selected number of run-guard stitches, the run-guard stitches being located in such successive courses that the multiplicity thereof form in such tubular part a vertical panel of given width, longitudinally slitting such panels after knitting to form two longitudinal edges, and connecting the two edges formed by the slit in each tubular part to the two edges formed by the slit in the other tubular part by attaching securing means to the run-guard stitches of such edges.

9. The method defined in claim 8, in which each tubular part is formed by initially knitting a plurality of rows of run-guard stitches to form a circular run-resist band of given width before starting the knitting of said multiplicity of successive courses so that the upper end of the panel is below the top edge of the tubular part, in which such successive courses are knitted throughout the depth of the body encircling portion of each tubular part, and in which the slitting of the panels is carried on to a point short of the lower endsthereof, and connecting the slit panel edges so that the unsevered bottom portions of the panels are located in opposed relation in the region of the crotch of the hose and in- 

1. A panty hose comprising a pair of similar knit blanks secured together to form a tubular body encircling portion and two tubular limb encircling portions depending therefrom, and a crotch portion formed at the bottom of said body encircling portion and extending laterally between the limb encircling portions, said crotch portion being constituted of two opposed narrow edge portions of said knit blanks formed with a run-guard stitch, the edge portions of each knit blank being a knit layer integral therewith and the run-guard stitches in said edge portions forming parts of knit courses in such knit blank containing conventional knit stitches, and the conventional knit and run-guard stitches in each such course being made with the same yarn, and means attached to the run-guard stitches of said opposed narrow edge portions and connecting them together.
 2. A panty hose as defined in claim 1, in which said edge Portions of each knit blank constitute the two longitudinal parts of a medially slit single panel formed by the run-guard stitches in said courses.
 3. A panty hose as defined in claim 1, in which said edge portions extend substantially from the upper edge of the front side of the pnaty hose, around the crotch, and substantially to the upper edge of the back side of the panty hose, and including a piece of material located between said edge portions at least in the crotch portion of such panty hose and terminating on one side of said panty hose short of the upper edge of such one side, the opposing parts of said edge portions in the region of said piece of material being seamed to the side edges of the latter, and those opposing parts of said edge portions on said one side being seamed together from the termination of said piece of material thereat to such upper edge thereof.
 4. A panty hose as defined in claim 2, in which said panels of said pair of knit blanks are slit from the upper ends thereof downwardly to a point short of the lower ends thereof, the unsevered bottom end portions of said panels being located on opposite sides of said crotch portion intermediate the ends of the latter.
 5. A panty hose comprising a pair of similar knit blanks secured together to form a tubular body encircling portion and two tubular limb encircling portions depending therefrom, said blanks being composed of a multiplicity of circular courses each made with single yarn, and a plurality of successive of such courses in each knit blank above the juncture of said body and limb encircling portions being composed of conventional knit stitches and a selected number of run-guard stitches that form in such blank a vertical panel of given width extending vertically downwardly from a point short of the upper edge of such blank, said panel in each knit blank being medially slit by a slit starting at such upper edge to form two slit edge portions, said slit edge portions of said blanks extending in opposed relation downwardly from the upper front edge of the hose, laterally in the crotch portion of the hose and upwardly to the upper rear edge of the hose, and means connecting the two slit edge portions of one panel to to the two slit edge portions of the other panel throughout the lengths thereof.
 6. A panty hose as defined in claim 5, in which said panels are slit downwardly to a point short of the lower ends thereof and the unsevered bottom portions of said panels are located in opposed relation in the region of said crotch portion and intermediate the ends of said slit edge portions thereof.
 7. A panty hose as defined in claim 5, in which each knit blank is formed to provide a run-resist band at the upper end thereof, said run-resist band comprising a plurality of courses of run-guard stitches forming a circular band of given width above said panel composed of courses of conventional knit and run-guard stitches, said circular band in each knit blank being slit by said medial slit and the two end portions of each band formed by the slit being connected to the two slit end portions of the other band by said connecting means.
 8. A method of making a panty hose comprising the steps of knitting each of a pair of separate tubular parts on a circular knitting machine, each of said two separate tubular parts having integral tubular body encircling and limb encircling portions, knitting a multiplicity of successive circular courses in forming the body encircling portion of each tubular part using a single yarn and forming each such course with such single yarn to form a series of conventional knit stitches and a selected number of run-guard stitches, the run-guard stitches being located in such successive courses that the multiplicity thereof form in such tubular part a vertical panel of given width, longitudinally slitting such panels after knitting to form two longitudinal edges, and connecting the two edges formed by the slit in each tubular part to the two edges formed by the slit in tHe other tubular part by attaching securing means to the run-guard stitches of such edges.
 9. The method defined in claim 8, in which each tubular part is formed by initially knitting a plurality of rows of run-guard stitches to form a circular run-resist band of given width before starting the knitting of said multiplicity of successive courses so that the upper end of the panel is below the top edge of the tubular part, in which such successive courses are knitted throughout the depth of the body encircling portion of each tubular part, and in which the slitting of the panels is carried on to a point short of the lower ends thereof, and connecting the slit panel edges so that the unsevered bottom portions of the panels are located in opposed relation in the region of the crotch of the hose and intermediate the ends of such slit panel edges. 